Robert Gamez

His father got him started playing golf at age two, by taking him to the driving range and letting him swing a cut-down club. Through high school, he never won anything, but kept playing and practicing. He got a scholarship to the University of Arizona, where his game started to reach high standards. He won six collegiate events and in 1989, was named the winner of the Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins awards as the Outstanding Player of the Year. He also played on the 1989 Walker Cup Team. He turned professional in the fall of 1989 and easily got his Tour Card. He played in three events at the end of the season, and with the new season coming, practiced hard with the ambition to make an impact on the PGA Tour. And that he did, winning his first tournament of the Year, the Northern Telecom Tucson Open. Since Robert spent three years at the University of Arizona and Las Vegas was a short drive away, he played in front of a gallery of family, friends, ex-teammates and college pals. He wasn't finished let, two months later at the Nestle Invitational at Bay Hill, he holed a 7-iron shot for a eagle-2, on the final hole of the championship, to win by a stroke over Greg Norman . . .Was involved in an automobile accident in June of 1998, which kept him out of action for more than a month.

2002 Notes After missing qualifying for TOUR by one stroke at Q-School in fall of 2001, regained card by finishing in the top 125 (85th) for the first time since 1997. . . Earned his first top-10 since a T5 at the 1997 B.C. Open with a T7 at the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic, a span of 96 starts between top 10s. Entered the week as seventh alternate. Shared 36-hole lead with Mark Calcavecchia at 10-under 134. His $118,433 paycheck was largest since the $162,000 he earned for a second-place finish at the 1994 Las Vegas Invitational. . . T3 at B.C. Open, two shots behind champion Spike McRoy, was best finish since T2 at 1997 Quad City Classic. . . Followed that the following week with a second at the John Deere Classic. Shared third-round lead at 18-under with winner J.P. Hayes. $324,000 payday pushed season earnings to $672,343, more than any other season since he joined the TOUR in 1990